1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to an apparatus for adjusting a clearance of a clutch cable for a vehicle, and more particularly, to an apparatus for adjusting a clearance of a clutch cable by securing a uniform gap between a pedal member and a clutch pedal.
2. Description of the Related Art
A clutch apparatus for a vehicle is installed between a flywheel and an input shaft of a transmission to interrupt power of an engine transferred to the transmission if necessary. As shown in FIG. 1 (RELATED ART), a cable type clutch apparatus includes a clutch pedal side apparatus 1 operated by a driver, a clutch body side apparatus 2 installed between the engine and the transmission, and a clutch cable 3 connecting the clutch pedal side apparatus 1 and the clutch body side apparatus 2.
In this configuration, the clutch pedal side apparatus 1 includes a pedal member 1a fixedly installed to a vehicle body under a driver's seat and a clutch pedal 1c rotatably coupled with the pedal member 1a forward and backward on the basis of a hinge shaft 1b. 
Further, the clutch body side apparatus 2 includes a release lever 2c rotatably installed at a clutch cover 2a based on a lever shaft 2b. 
Meanwhile, one end of the clutch cable 3 is coupled with an upper portion of the clutch pedal 1c and the other end thereof is coupled with a clearance adjusting apparatus 10, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 (RELATED ART). In this case, an end of the clearance adjusting apparatus 10 is connected to the release lever 2c. 
The clearance adjusting apparatus 10 includes a cable rod 11 coupled with the clutch cable 3 and having an outer circumferential surface provided with a thread 11a, a cable end 12 coupled with an end of the cable rod 11 and coupled with the release lever 2c, a damper 13 coupled with the cable rod 11, and an adjusting nut 14 coupled with the thread 11a of the cable rod 11.
Therefore, a guide bracket 2d coupled with the clutch cover 2a penetrates from the cable end 12, and then the cable end 12 is inserted between hooks 2e of the release lever 2c, and the clutch cable 3 is pulled in an arrow M1 direction as shown to lock the cable end 12 to the hook 2e of the release lever 2c. 
If the clutch cable 3 is pulled in the arrow M1 direction, a gap between the cable end 12 and the release lever 2c disappears to fix a position of the cable end 12, but a gap occurs between the damper 13 and the adjusting nut 14. Therefore, finally, the adjusting nut 14 rotates to remove the gap between the damper 13 and the adjusting nut 14, and the adjusting nut 14 is closely fixed to the damper 13 to complete the clearance adjustment of the clutch cable 3.
However, the existing clearance adjusting apparatus 10 as described above has a structure in which workers manually pull the clutch cable 3 to adjust a clearance. In this case, since forces (i.e., forces pulling the clutch cable 3 in the arrow M1 direction) of each worker pulling the clutch cable 3 are different, the gap between the pedal member 1a and the clutch pedal 1c may be non-uniform for each product, thereby causing a quality problem when the vehicle is released.
Further, if the gap between the pedal member 1a and the clutch pedal 1c is different for each product as the force of each worker pulling the clutch cable 3 is different, a free play of the clutch pedal 1c is also different for each product and a surplus stroke of the clutch pedal 1c is also different for each product, thereby causing a quality problem when the vehicle is released.
Here, the free play is a section in which the clutch is not substantially operated when the clutch pedal 1c returning to an initial position is depressed by a driver and only the clutch pedal 1c idles forward. In other words, the free play means a section in which the clutch pedal 1c idles forward until a clutch disk starts to operate after each clearance between parts of the clutch disappears upon the initial operation of the clutch pedal 1c. 
The reason for setting the free play as described above is to sufficiently move a pressure plate toward a flywheel with a force of a diaphragm spring when the clutch disk is worn due to the continuous use of the clutch. By doing so, a slip occurrence is prevented between the flywheel and the clutch disk to prevent the clutch disk from being damaged at an early stage.
Further, the surplus stroke is a pedal stroke from the time when the driver takes his/her foot off the clutch pedal 1c in a full stroke state of the clutch pedal 1c to the time when the clutch disk starts to contact the flywheel and if the surplus stroke is differently set for each product, the quality problem may occur upon the operation of the clutch.
The contents described as the related art have been provided only for assisting in the understanding for the background of the present invention and should not be considered as corresponding to the related art known to those skilled in the art.